Doctor Clive Richards killed in collision with lorry on Archway Road, London

Incident date:

Mon, 5 Aug 2013

The man, believed to be in his 40s, was hit at about 09:40 while cycling on the A1 Archway Road between Highgate and Archway gyratory.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene despite the efforts of medics on London’s Air Ambulance and two ambulance crews.

The air ambulance, which flies a surgeon and paramedic straight to crash scenes, has been called to more than 30 critical incidents involving cyclists this year.

Shopkeeper Haq Awan, who runs a dry cleaning business next to the incident scene, said he spoke to the lorry driver, who pulled over several metres further along the Archway Road, immediately afterwards.

He added: “The driver came up to me and said that he looked in his nearside mirror and saw the man falling down. That was the reason he stopped, but he was sure he didn’t hit anyone.”

Traffic officers from Northolt Road Death Investigation Unit are looking in to the incident and there have been no arrests, Scotland Yard said.

He is the sixth cyclist to be killed on London’s roads this year.

UPDATE (09/08/13)

The cyclist has been named as Doctor Clive Richards, 67. It is suspected that he had a cardiac arrest at the scene of the crash. Dr Richards had retired for the second time in his career from the Rise Group Practice in Hornsey, north London, just two months ago. He was a keen cyclist, regularly riding his bike to work and raising money with charity bike rides, including one trip to India.

A family member said: “He was a doctor and spent his whole life saving people’s lives. London is not built for cyclists. They try to get more people to cycle with the Boris bikes, but the infra- structure just isn’t there for them.

“You’re going to keep getting tragic deaths like this until that changes.”